Dental Student Government officers assume their roles in 2017-2018

The ECU School of Dental Medicine’s Dental Student Government (DSG) officers have been selected for 2017-2018. The officers include Maria Isabel “Bel” Rego, president; Kiersten Bethea, vice president; Taylor Windley, secretary; Alexis Webb, treasurer; and Briana Hudson, community service chair.

The DSG represents the dental student body and acts as a guide in all academic and social matters. The role of the officers is to develop and implement projects that advance the School of Dental Medicine and the dental profession overall.

When asked what the DSG hopes to accomplish this year, President Bel Rego said, “We want to promote leadership, unity, and integrity while fostering an inclusive environment that values our students’ perspectives, stands by the well-being of all students, and provides an opportunity for all.”

ECU School of Dental Medicine Dental Student Government (DSG) officers for 2017-2018 are (seated left to right) Bel Rego, president; Kiersten Bethea, vice president; (standing left to right) Alexis Webb, treasurer; Taylor Windley, secretary; and Briana Hudson, community service chair.

Maria Isabel “Bel” Rego, president, is a third-year student from Winston Salem, N.C. She became DSG president after a successful year as DSG treasurer in 2016-2017. She is a graduate of Salem College and has worked with health equity and minority research for several years at Wake Forest University School of Medicine’s Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity. She earned a master’s degree in health education and promotion from ECU in 2014 and is a certified health education specialist (CHES) and a member of the North Carolina Society of Public Health Education.

Kiersten Bethea, vice president, is a third-year student from Greensboro, N.C. She graduated from North Carolina A&T State University in 2014 with a major in biology. Prior to dental school, she worked as a dental assistant in an oral surgery practice. In 2016-2017, she served as community service chair for both the DSG and the Student National Dental Association, and she has served on several committees at the dental school. As a North Carolina Albert Schweitzer Fellow, Kiersten is collaborating with an ECU Brody School of Medicine student in working with community providers to offer oral health care to the homeless.

Taylor Windley, secretary, is a second-year student from Zebulon, N.C. As secretary, she serves as the communication link between the DSG and the student body. She graduated with distinction from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2016, majoring in biology and minoring in chemistry and archaeology. She is chair of philanthropy for the school’s DMD student organization. She is especially interested in research in the area of pregnancy and infants; she is a member of the school’s Research Scholarship Committee. Upon graduation from dental school, Taylor hopes to become the third generation of dentists in her family to practice in North Carolina.

Alexis Webb, treasurer, is a second-year student from Durham, N.C. She is a graduate of Johnson C. Smith University, where she earned a chemistry degree and was a leader on and off the volleyball court and softball field, participarting in community service and mentoring programs. She earned a master’s in medical sciences from Hampton University. As DSG treasurer, Alexis guides student organizations in the appropriate handling and use of funds. Following graduation, she hopes to practice dentistry and engage in community outreach in an underserved area of North Carolina.

Briana Hudson, community service chair, is a second-year student from Greenville, N.C. She is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, where she majored in exercise and sports science. She completed a post-baccalaureate degree in pre-health at UNC-Greensboro. She has held several leadership positions at the dental school, including community service chair for the Class of 2020 and for the American Dental Student Association. She has also served as event and networking coordinator for the Student National Dental Association. As DSG community service chair, she helps coordinate the school’s student outreach projects. Upon graduation from dental school, Briana hope to practice dentistry in a rural area of the state.

“We are delighted to have such an excellent group of Dental Student Government leaders as our officers this year. I know they will carry on the tradition of outstanding DSG leadership and build upon the achievements of their predecessors. At the School of Dental Medicine, we are educating dentists AND leaders,” said Dr. Margaret Wilson, the school’s vice dean and associate dean for student affairs.